A farmer works a field near the Scioto River north of Chillicothe along Ohio 207 between Ohio 104 and U.S. 23.

Written by

Deirdre Shesgreen and Christopher Doering
Gannett

Ohio farmers are sounding alarm bells about the potential influence of a new federal rule that's aimed at clarifying the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate streams, wetlands and other waters.

EPA officials say the proposal is needed to clear up confusion about the scope of the agency's jurisdiction over certain bodies of water, including streams that flow only seasonally or after rain. The EPA says the draft rule will not interfere with farming, ranching or other agriculture practices.

But many farmers say it's a dramatic expansion of Washington's reach that could ...